


Light Up My Life

by Metalkatt



Category: Pet Shop of Horrors
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-19
Updated: 2005-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27886150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metalkatt/pseuds/Metalkatt
Relationships: Chris Orcot/T-chan | Tetsu, Count D/Leon Orcot
Kudos: 5





	Light Up My Life

Mismatched eyes stared out the window, watching the retreating form of Detective Leon Orcot. Tonight had unfolded like most of his nights had of late--another accusation, another explanation, another dream shattered because humanity couldn't keep within the bounds of its own agreements. Another blustering denial that didn't mask the understanding, acceptance, and resignation in those oceanic eyes.

D let the curtain drop and glided into the main room, bending over to pick up the tea service. It was light to him, though he handled it with care. The material was brittle, and irreplaceable, though D wondered what Leon would have thought if he'd known that he was drinking from a cup that had been carved from true bone. The scent of the cake the detective had brought wafted up from the plate, and D savoured it with a deep inhale. Only crumbs from the plain, chocolate cake remained, but he would now forever associate the scent with a smile, the warm, happy, unguarded smile he'd received from the very man who'd baked it for him. Violet and gold hid themselves behind pale eyelids as the tray was placed on the counter, and the count savoured the memory, burning it into his mind.

Warm water coursed over his hands as he washed each cup under the tap, frowning at the slippery, unnatural plastic handle of the thing Chris had given him to help with the washing-up. He eventually set it aside, as he always did, in favour of his old washrag. The cloth was old an worn, but it did its job. He settled the cup onto the towel beside the sink, and began to wipe down the tray itself. _Old and worn… That seems to describe things perfectly…_

_"You're not old and worn, you know. You're just letting yourself become far too attached to him."_ The redhead looked up from the refrigerator, tossing back an annoyed glance. His auburn mane slid and danced around the ram's horns that curled on either side of his head, swishing softly as he moved, eyes glinting in the light of the white appliance.

_"I hardly think you're in a position to talk to me about attachment, Tet-chan."_ D took up another towel and proceeded to dry each cup and saucer, removing all traces of moisture from them. His eyes took in the deep greens of the kitchen, the plants that wove themselves around pillars, and draped over the non-combustible appliances in an attempt to make the room seem less filled with annoying, metallic machines. For all his animal companions, for all the plants that graced his home, the kami felt very much alone in the world, without a peer. The only person in several hundred years that had come close to being friends with the count had just left the mystic shop with a grumble… and without so much as a look back.

_"Don't you get all high and mighty with me,"_ the toutetsu snapped back, pulling a bowl of sushi from the back of the unit. _"I fully admit that I am possessive of the younger one--he is mine and I will be his when he's old enough, and that's all there is to it. You're the one who's dancing around your intentions like a stuffed cat debating on whether or not to let the shrew live. Either take possession of him as a mate, or find another."_

D frowned, placing the set back into its protective chest, nestling the samite-wrapped teapot into its berth of safety. _"It's not as simple as that."_

_"You're right. This one has to agree to it. He doesn't go into musth like a normal creature. He's a human."_ Tet-chan had shown himself to be remarkably more perceptive and comprehensive than even the count had given him credit for, and those insightful traits had blossomed under the toutetsu's close relationship with the younger Orcot.

"Yes, that's what makes it so difficult," D admitted, settling the lid of the chest. The mossy green tile of the floor set off the cherry wood chest nicely, allowing it to glow in the overhead light.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it as many times as it takes to get it through that thick skull of yours: He's trouble. You're just getting closer to the fire. Unless you take hold of it, it's going to burn you." He bumped the refrigerator door closed with his pert bottom and glared at the count. In the normal course of events, only the Kirin, the Phoenix, the Dragon, the White Tiger, and the Tortoise had the seniority and authority to address the kami as if he were an errant teenager, but in this case, the toutetsu knew he was right, and he knew that D knew, too. In fact, he could see the slight glint of white as D's teeth worried his lower lip for a moment before the raven-haired man straightened and turned to leave.

***

D slid between the covers of his bed, situating himself somewhere in the middle of it so he wouldn't slide out. He tried to force his eyes shut, but they kept picking out the borders of his bedroom, the moonlight stripping everything of its colour until he was left only with the harsh chiaroscuro of sharp edges.

_Dark and light.. Complete opposites, yet neither can exist without the other,_ he mused, reaching out a hand as if he could touch the shapes from his bed. Impressions of light flickered on his eyes, but without a context to put the shapes in, he would be no better than in an alien land, he realised. Only after knowing that the portmanteau was a portmanteau and that mirror was a mirror… and that the giant bat shadow on the far wall was just Q-chan looking out the window, could any of his surroundings make sense. His odd musings followed him into his dreams, swirling about his brain as his eyes slipped shut.

_Running, running, so tired from running… D had spent the last eternity trying to pursue the blond head as it peeked up past the dark sea of the crowd, turning up to the right sometimes, to the left others, and more rarely straight ahead. Every time he thought he had the chance to catch up to the detective, he would have someone distract him for just long enough for the man to disappear. He hugged the cut-glass jar closer to himself though it got heavier with every step he took, the golden glimmer inside it pulsing, reaching out for the detective, guiding him towards the blond like a beacon._

_He paused, trying to catch his breath, looking around at the sea of familiar Asian faces, hoping that he wouldn't fall too far behind. Across the street, something glinted gold, and D turned his head just soon enough to see Leon smiling, laughing, his head thrown back as an expression of extreme happiness crossed his face. D felt the fire kindle in his belly once more, and he sprang over, but the large bus that sped down the causeway blocked him, and when the loud, human-built monstrosity had disappeared, he found the detective was gone once more._

_The jar he held was hurting his arms now, physically hurting, and he could see that the pulse of light was stuttering, dying, starved from its only nourishment. His perfect, burgundy lips pursed in a frown before he turned at a sharp whistle--behind him was a smiling Leon beckoning him into a large building. D felt the sharp tug of the cut-glass jar he carried, and it off-balanced the kami, who fell prone on the sidewalk._

_Nothing sounds quite as arresting or tragic as the tinkle and sparkle of broken glass, and he looked up, hair falling in his face as he reached out--his hand fell on something smaller and softer, resting on the pavement next to him. A small glimmer of blue took his attention, almost hidden under the filth and muck of the city. Picking it up, he could feel it pulse, weak but extant, in his palm. He got to his knees, tucking it away in a pocket, feeling it thrum against his body, though when he looked up, the man he was pursuing was gone.._

_The doorway where Leon had been standing was open, but the detective himself was gone. Picking himself up off the ground, he ventured inside, catching the refrains of music. The corridors were dark, but he fancied he could see the golden sparkle he'd been carrying, bobbing and weaving in a pattern somewhere ahead of him. His hands were out, and he felt his way along the corridor, not even daring to blink for fear that the glimmer would wink out of existence. He could hear music, and it pulled him in as much as the sparkle, promising and beckoning._

_He came to the end of the corridor without realising it, his eyes picking out the filigree of the door, having become used to the dim, blue light emanating from his pocket. The music was much louder, and as he placed his palms against the door, it dissolved, a blinding light streaming through that caused D to raise his hands to ward it off. It dimmed, and he could see that the light belonged to the glimmer he'd carried in his jar--a glimmer currently suspended from a cord about the detective's neck. The count surveyed the giant ballroom, noting the costumes of the players… cats, wolves, birds, fish… He had stumbled upon a masquerade, and Leon was in the centre of it, an elegant honey outfit that matched his hair… and his namesake._

_The blond looked up and over at the door, and D felt his heart jump. That golden glimmer, he understood it now. Leon was holding his heart, and that faint lump of blue that he carried… He'd picked up the detective's own of the street, and old, old words rang through his head:_ "Don't give me that sentimental bullcrap, D. I don't have a heart to lose." __

_The pain that normally rested in the blue gemstone eyes was gone, however, when Orcot stepped up to the count, and offered his hand. D stared at it dumbly for a moment until the man smiled, and he realised it was an invitation to the dance. Though the costumes were obviously Western, the music was anything but. He didn't recognise these particular melodies from his youth, but the music was definitely in the Chinese style, and it sounded like war music in his head. He could see the battlefields in his head, the drums pounding and the infantrymen at war… The bass undertones drew his attention, and he could pick out the stout war horses in the distance, stomping heavily as they bore their warriors to the battlefield._

_A swift yank of his chin so his eyes met his dance partner's, and he realised that the music was not for the battlefields or for death… this was music that accentuated the stalking nature of their dance, and made the blond's gaze burn into him with more ferocity. This was for mating, not for killing. He hadn't even realised they'd been moving, had been weaving steps with each other, and he felt very much like prey with the way Leon circled him, moving in with the speed and surety to take pale hands in his own, his leonine costume needing no mane to mark it for the creature he was, its form and line accentuating his form as they twined around each other._

_Firm lips parted, and the other man spoke his only words--"Do you still deny it?"_

_D shook his head, mutely assenting to Leon's touch and proximity. He felt a stab of fear at the feral grin, at the swift hand that cradled the back of his head and brought his face in so close--_

D bolted upright in bed, dislodging many of the creatures who had entered to try to help, discomfited by their master's noises of pain and distress. His chest was heaving, and he placed a palm over his ribs as if he could somehow force down the crazed thumping of his heart. He felt Q-chan flutter onto his shoulder, squeaking softly into his ear.

_"Are you all right?"_ Chris asked, having come in from his own room after being woken up by several of the creatures. He was hesitant to get too close to the odd-eyed man, especially now when his porcelain skin seemed painted with pink. _"You were having a nightmare, I think."_

A slow nod, and D forced his breathing under control once more. He was sweating, and exuding--he noticed a few of the creatures nuzzling each other with amorous looks, and decided to get up. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." He gave Chris a small smile, and then one to all of them. "Thank you for waking me. I think I'm going to go get a shower."

_"Okay. I'll change your sheets."_ The boy walked over to the dresser and began to pull open the bottom drawer.

"Chris, you have school in the morning," D disapproved, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "You need your rest."

_"You scared me. I need to calm down, and anyway, these things are soaked. You sweat more'n Leon at the gym… Though, you don't smell near as bad..."_ The young man laughed a bit, and pulled out a set of bedding to set it on a chair.

There were times where children and animals needed to be left to their own devices if they were hurting nobody, and D decided this was one of those times. As he stood, he heard a metallic thunk against the floor, and looked down. Glittering dimly against the floor was a blue… something, held in by metal. His breathing hitched, and D was sure his heart had stopped for a moment as he stared at it, not daring to pick it up.

A small, curious earth dragon ambled over and removed it from the floor, flicking her tongue over it before holding it up to the lamp that Chris had switched on earlier. "Sapphire," she pronounced with a frown. "Awfully cloudy, though. Not really that valuable." She turned it over in her hands, then reached up to push some of her unruly brown hair behind one ear. "Nice setting, though. One of yours?" she held it up to the count, who seemed to have a difficult time reaching out for it.

"I suppose it is.. now…" D took hold of the gem, feeling it pulse against his hand, and curled it tight against his chest. He set off for the bathroom with slow strides, feeling like he was still caught in the dream.

Chris exchanged glances with the dragonet who shrugged. _"You don't suppose he's sick, do you?"_

"No, I don't think so. He doesn't smell sick." She tipped her head at the young man trying to manage the coverings of the gargantuan bed all by himself, then smiled. "Here, let me help…"

***

"Hey, D! You around?" Leon shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the coatrack, and actually toed off his muddy shoes before coming inside. He carried two boxes, one much lighter than the other. "Chris?"

There was a shuffle, and the towhead sprang up from the couch to hug his elder brother, causing Leon to laugh. _"Oh, Leon, you wouldn't believe all the things that happened last night with the dragon and D having a nightmare and Tet-chan feeding me sushi and everything!"_ His mind raced, wishing he could tell his brother everything at once, but Leon still hadn't learned how to listen, so they were stuck with the next best thing.

Leon raised his arms as he was attacked, smiling down at the boy. "All right, all right, lemme set this stuff down, and you can tell me all about whatever is preying on your mind, kid." He felt the tight grip loosen, and he set the boxes down so he could pick up and spin his little brother. Chris was well past the age of being carried like an infant, but both brothers liked the fact that Leon was strong enough to hold the smaller boy still. "So, did you get all your homework done?"

Chris nodded with a smile, and then paused, looking down at the gold glint at his brother's chest. He reached out to it, then looked up at Leon for permission.

The detective moved to sit down on the divan D kept in the warm, red room, and he nodded his okay to the boy. "You can look at it; it's okay. Funny thing is, I had some real freakass dreams last night, and when I woke up, this thing was on the nightstand. I kinda like it, don't you?"

Chris turned the pendant over in his fingers, noting the odd, dragon-like creature hammered out of the gold. He slid himself off the older man's lap and beside him, reaching over for his new laptop. **"Where did you get it?"** he typed.

"You know, that's the funny thing--I'm not sure. I don't ever remember buying it." Leon shifted closer, an arm slung about the boy's shoulders, as they went over their days.

When D came out, tea service in hand, he couldn't help but smile as he heard the laughter roar from the older one. "Something amusing, Dete…" His words died on his tongue as he took note of the large piece of gold about the man's neck. Instead of talking more, he moved forward with almost mechanical precision, his body on autopilot as he set the tray on the low table.

"Oh, just talking about stick-in-the-mud teachers, and how I used to give them utter grief when I was his age." His smile was broad, and all the anger and frustration that Leon normally cloaked himself with was gone. "You know, Count, you look pretty spiffy today in that blue chong-whatsit. Didn't realise you wore necklaces, though."

D looked down at the cheongsam he'd chosen, deep blue with gold embroidery of a Chinese-style lion. He'd purchased it because it'd reminded him so of the detective, and he felt a small blush rising at the compliment. "It seemed to go with the outfit." He paused, and lifted his head, inhaling a bit. "Have you brought something today?"

"Oh! I almost forgot!" The young man pulled away from his brother and reached over to the box. "I hope I didn't burn them too bad--I'm still new to this baking stuff. But anyway, with all your health-freakiness, you should like them since they don't have any preservatives in them, even though you could probably consume an entire cane field in an hour." The annoyed look he received made Leon smile all the wider as he handed over the box, and he chuckled when the count opened it and exclaimed at the cupcakes inside.

"Detective! I haven't had marble cakes in forever!" He closed his eyes to inhale their thick aroma, and then stared sloe-eyed at the blond. "Chocolate and mint… How did you know?"

Leon gulped and squirmed… "I, um, I have my spies." He couldn't deny the shifting in his belly at that look, and was grateful when he remembered the second box. "Oh, got something for you, too. Here you go." He handed it down to the younger blond.

Chris took the box and looked it over. _"A computer game?"_

"It's actually pretty good; don't look at me like that. I've tried it out already. It's a city-building game, so you take your little people from huts and water holes to these really neat houses called Shayunes--"

"Siheyuan, actually," D interrupted, pouring their tea.

"What-ever! Anyway, it's a good game. Teaches you planning and diplomacy, and if the little bastards don't listen, you can form an army and beat the living tar out of them." Leon was smiling down at Chris, and the young boy actually giggled.

**"Are there any other kinds?"** the younger one wanted to know. The concept sounded interesting to him, yet another way of learning the types of stories the count so often liked to tell.

D smiled and watched the two brothers sitting together, and he felt a slight pang go through him at their closeness.

Leon blinked and reached up a hand to the gold pendant--he thought he felt the thing shiver. Gemstone eyes looked up at the pale man, and a small smile took over his face. "Get over here, Mr. Aloof." He indicated the spot on the other side of the boy, and chuckled at D's expression. "Get down here before I get up there and pull you down." He watched the count settle in, shifting his jaw from side to side before reaching out and taking D's upper arm. "Get over here, willya? You're gonna help play, too."

D blinked as he was yanked closer, and blinked again as the music began to emanate from the computer. He felt Leon's arm slide over his, pulling it over Chris' shoulders as they both looked at the screen. "Does this… game… have city walls?"

Leon smiled. "City walls, theatre pavilions, sculptures, tai chi parks… it's perfect for you. I fell asleep listening to the music last night… gave me some weird dreams."

Chris smiled to himself as he was bracketed by the two… for the first time in a long time, he felt warm and safe. At home. His only thought was to wonder when it would be broken, like everything else.


End file.
